Friday, October 25, 2013

Today is Casey Belle's tenth birthday. Casey, as you can see, is a Jack Russell Terrier. She is my friend and companion. I can tell her anything, and she's good to keep a secret.
My husband and I almost lost her when she was a year and a half old. Someone poisoned her, but we managed to get her to the vet in time. She was hospitalized for five days. She now has pancreatitis. I have to watch everything she eats and try to keep her away from stressful situations. She can only have all-natural dog food and treats. The first year, after that nasty incident, I cooked her meals. She refused to eat the prescription dog food from the vet. I couldn't blame her. It smelled nasty and looked weird. I made large batches of her meals, kept it refrigerated, and then heated up her portion. After a year had gone by, I put her on an enzyme supplement and then gradually introduced her to all-natural dog food. When she had become adjusted to it, I switched her completely over to all-natural dog food and then started adding all-natural treats.
I noticed when she would have a pancreatic attack (usually brought on by stress), she would self-medicate. She would eat mint from my pots of herbs on my patio. So she has her very own pot of mint now.
Today, on her birthday, I made her a batch of Pumpkin Cookies (Recipe Below). I bought her a stuffed squeaky toy. The label said Hedgehog, but to me it looks more like a Armadillo. She doesn't care as long as it squeaks.

Casey Belle’s Pumpkin Cookies (Dog Biscuits)

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 cup canned
pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon sea
salt

1 teaspoon
ginger

2 tablespoons powdered
milk

2 1/2 cups whole
wheat flour

Water

Directions:

Preheat oven to
350 degrees F.

Blend eggs and
pumpkin together; add salt, ginger, dry milk, and flour. Add water as needed. The
dough should be stiff. Mix with your hands. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thick on a lightly
floured sheet of waxed paper, and cut into desired shapes. Place 1" apart
on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes on one side, then turn over, and
bake another 20 minutes.

If you'd like to friend Casey Belle and leave her a birthday message, she has her very own a Facebook profile.

About Me

I was born and raised on a farm southeastern Oklahoma and now live in the country northwestern Mississippi. My passion is writing southern Gothic mystery, suspense, romance and all with humor. I love photography and the covers on my novels are my work. I'm also a portrait artist. I prefer pastels and colored pencils, but do use oil, watercolors, and acrylics occasionally.